Hull structure for gigid airships



March 6, 1928. 1,662,021

K. ARNSTEIN HULL STRUCTURE FOR RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed June 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Karl Arm/lain,

61cm we 1 March 6, '1928.

K. ARNSTEIN HULL STRUCTURE FOR RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed June 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL ARNSTEIN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GOODYEAR-ZEPPELIN CORPORATION, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HULL STRUCTURE roe RIGID AIRSHIPS.

Application filed June 21, 1927. Serial No. 200,475.

My invention relates to dirigible air-ships quiring additional bracing or support. The

and it has particular relation to the construction and arrangement of the elements constituting the hull superstructure of rigid 6 airships.

The object of my invention is to provide an airship hull superstructure having a novel combination of longitudinally and transversely disposed structural elements which 10 insure proper rigidity of the airship and facilitate the assembly of the various portions of the airship superstructure.

The conventional method of building the hull superstructure of rigid airships consists of combining transversely disposedframes, longitudinals, and wires disposed diagonally of the panels formed by the intersecting transverse frames andthe longitudinals for bracing the various structural elements,

thereby insuring a rigid hull construction.

Two kinds of transverse frames are employed which are known as main rings and intermediate or auxiliary rings respectively. The main rings, which are wire hraced,jare

relatively small in lateral width and serve to preserve the proper cross-sectional contour of the airship hull, while the intermediate rings located between the mainrings support the longitudinals.

In order to avoid fluttering of the outer airship cover, the distance between the several longitudinals upon which the cover rests, must not exceed predetermined limits. The number of longitudinals determines the number of sides, in polygonal form, of the cross-sectional contour of the hull. If the polygonal contour has more than 24: sides, the stiffness of the rings decreases while the likelihood of deformation thereof increases according to the increase in the number of sides, This is especially true of the unbraced intermediate rings. However, rings having the required degree of stiffness could be employed, but such rings, in order to be sufficiently strong, would also be required to have correspondingly greater weight and therefore would not be economical.

In order to improve the rigidity of the 1 wire bracings which usually connect the corners of the previously known rings in the planes thereof are omitted. Main rings of this inherently rigid type were considered necessary for the construction of large airships having a polygonal contour of more than 24 sides.

This invention provides for a practical embodiment of wire baced main rings which formerly were believed to be unsuited for incorporation into the hull structure of larger, airships having more than 24 sides.

Four longitudinalkeel girders, projecting inwardly ofthe airshiphull, are arranged equal distances from each other about the circumference of the airship hullf These girders insure proper longitudinal rigidity as well as lateral rigidity in the airship hull. Despite the fact that increasing the number of sides of an airship hull tends to decrease the stability of the frame work as the angle between the sides approaches 180, the employment of'longitudinal keel girders compensates for this tendency. The side panels constituting the sections of the hull between theseveral keels provide a stiff framework, even when the airship is not inflated, which could not be realized without the employment of the keels. The required rigidity of the tubular hull construction is insured by the action of the intermediate rings, the sections of which constitute arches supported between the severalkeel girders.

Other advantages which result from the employment of keel girders of this type include improved facilities for inspecting the hull structure and the gas cells, because the keels provide for convenient accessibility to all parts of the airship. Also, these keels provide for convenient location of all valves within an upper corridor of the hull, and the sturdiness of the airship as a whole serves as a safeguard against damage.

Fora better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, of which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary elevational view showing diagrammatically the superstructure of an airship hull embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on a larger scale, illustrating one form of main ring embodied in the construction shown by Fig. 1, the view being taken substantially along the line 1III thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on a larger scale, illustrating another form of main ring embodied in the hull superstructure, the View being taken substantially along the line TIL-III of Fig. 1; and Fig. l is a cross-sectional view of the hull construction shown by Fig. 1, the view being, taken substantially along the line IV-IV thereof. I One practical embodiment of my invention illustrated by the drawings comprises a hull superstructurelt) which is provided with transversely disposed main rings 11 and12, auxiliary transverse rings 13 and longitudinally disposed keel structures 14:, 15, 16 and 17. Also socalled longitudin'als l8, which'coinprise girders disposed lengthwise of the hull are provided about the circumferencethereof. The keels and longitudinals are so distributed about the hull asto form a polygonal contour, the corners ofwhichare indicated by the numeral 19. The outer side of each keel construction corresponds substantially to one or more sides of the polygonal contour of the rings and hull. Preferably, the keels are equally spaced about the circumference of the airship, the keels 15 and 17 being dis posed diametrically opposite each other at the extreme upper and lower portions of the hull respectively. At the lower portion of the hull, the keel 17 may be composed of a plurality of longitudinally disposed sections 20 for the purpose of providing additional 7 reinforcement at this location of the airship and to provide lon itudinally disposed gangways. The side kee s 14 and 16 and the upper keel 15 are also adapted to serve as gangways extending substantially from one end of the airship to the other.

Asbest shown by Figs. 1 and 3, an inner circumferential portion 22 of each main ring 11 is disposed radially inwardly of the airship and is rigidly connected to'an outer circumferential portion 23 by means of struts orbraces 24; The width of each ring ll'measured longitudinally of the hull is relatively small. The inner and outer portions and the bracing struts provide a construction which is radially inherently stiff and therefore bracing wires disposed in the plane of the ring and connecting the various corners of the polygonal contour thereof are not required. y However. each of the other main rings 12 is composed of girde'rs25 connected together at a plurality of corners of the hull and they define the sides ofthepolygonally shaped ring. These rings are not inherently stiff and wire bracing 26 is employed for the purposeof stiileningthe construction and for the purpose of providing a substantially mesh formation against which the gas cells of theairship may impinge.

The entire hull superstriwturc is additionally braced by means of wires 27 which are distributed over the circumferential portions thereof and are positioned diagonally between the intersecting points of the longitudinals, keels, main rings and auxiliary rings.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that by my invention the construction of larger type of rigid airships is materiallyimproved and that the assembly of the various structural elements is greatly simplified. The reinforcing and strengthening characteristics of the longitudinally disposedkeels not only provide a relatively more rigid construction of the airship hull as a unit, butthe auxiliary rings 13 can be fabricated in' one-quarter sections separately constructed and assembled between the respective keels, thereby dispensing with intrirate building frames previously required for transportation and manipulation of the rings into their final and proper positions.

Although I have illustrated butonc form which my invention may assume and have describedin detailbut a single application thereof,it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but that various minor 1 modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rigid airship comprising a hull having a plurality of longitudinals, a plurality of transversely disposed members of relatively small lateral extension, the longitudinals and transversely disposed members defining a substantially polygonal hull contour, four longitudinally disposed relatively large keels composed of framework, the outer surface thereof being substantially flush with the outer surface of and constituting a part of the hull superstructure and wire bracing diagonally connected between the points of intersection of the transverse members, longitudinals and keels for stiffening the hull structure.

2. A rigid airship comprising a hull having'a plurality of longitudinals, a plurality of transversely disposed members of relatively small lateral extension, the longitu' dinals and transversely disposed members defining a substantially polygonal hull contour, four longitudinally disposed relatively large keels composed of framework, the outer surface thereof being substantially flush with the outer surface of and constituting a part of the hull superstructure and wire bracing diagonally connected between the points of intersection of the transverse members, longitudinals and keels for stiffening the hullstructure, a plurality of transverse members having wire bracing disposed substantially in the planes thereof.

3. A rigid airship comprising a hull having a plurality of longitudinals, transverse members of relatively narrow lateral width with respect to their radial extension, four longitudinally disposed relatively large keels spaced about the contour of the hull and supporting the transverse members, the keels being substantially flush with the outer surface of and constituting a part of the hull superstructure and wire bracing diagonally connected between the points of intersection of the transverse members, longitudinals and keels for stiffening the hull superstructure.

4. A rigid airship comprising a hull having a plurality of longitudinals, a plurality of transversely disposed main rings and auxiliary ringsythe longitudinals andrings de fining a substantially polygonal hull contour, a relatively large longitudinally disposed keel disposed in each quadrant of the hull, the outer surface of the keels being flush with the outer surface of and constituting a part of the hull, the auxiliary rings being built in quadrants circumferentially,

disposed between the several keels.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

KARL ARNSTEIN. 

